"What's your name?"
Tenra eyed the boy before him, curiosity flickering in his gaze.
"Leonardo."
The boy's voice was flat, his face pale from the strain of conjuring a beast far beyond his own limits.
"You know what I'm about to do, don't you?"
"I do."
Tenra's reputation as the Sacred Gear Plunderer was no secret. Any wielder who hadn't heard of him was either a fool or living under a rock.
Leonardo knew exactly what was coming—but he didn't run. Not that he could. From the moment Tenra's shadow stabbed into his own, escape had ceased to be an option.
"This'll hurt. Try not to scream too much."
Tenra didn't bother with ceremony. He plunged his hand straight into Leonardo's chest, activating his plundering power.
"AAAHHH!"
"Stop him! Don't let him take it!"
Leonardo's face twisted in agony, his screams echoing through the battlefield. A dozen Khaos Brigade members streaked toward Tenra, desperate to break his grip.
Tenra snorted. He wasn't about to let a bunch of small fry interrupt. With a thought, his Balance Breaker—Unlimited Blade Creation—flared to life. Swords rained down, turning the attackers into human sieves amid a chorus of shrieks.
But the enemy refused to give up. A surge of mist billowed in, trying to envelop Leonardo and whisk him away.
Not a chance.
"Scatter!"
Tenra unleashed a torrent of spiritual energy—a hurricane that shredded the fog in an instant. At the same time, he locked himself and Leonardo inside a barrier, sealing off any escape.
The plundering continued, unstoppable.
Leonardo screamed until his voice broke. Moments later, Tenra withdrew a pitch-black jewel from his chest. The boy collapsed, ghostly pale and unconscious.
A smile crept onto Tenra's lips. Even he couldn't suppress a thrill—this was his third Longinus.
Besides Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing, he now possessed Annihilation Maker.
He was about to absorb the new power when—
WHSSSH—
A golden war spear shot toward his back, extending at impossible speed. The barrier shattered like glass, the spearhead slicing through with lethal intent.
Tenra's instincts screamed. One hit from that, and he'd be dead—no question.
"Yata no Kagami!"
He shouted, and in a flash, an ancient mirror materialized behind him, shimmering with divine light.
The spear struck the mirror's surface, but instead of a clang, the mirror rippled into a swirling vortex. The spear vanished, swallowed whole.
"Hey, kid, you still alive?"
Azazel's voice drifted down as he landed nearby.
"What do you think? Weren't you supposed to keep him busy?"
Tenra shot back, annoyance in his tone.
Azazel shrugged, looking helpless. "That guy's a nightmare. I'm lucky I lasted this long."
Tenra grumbled, but he knew the truth—Cao Cao was a monster in his own right.
He glanced skyward, voice cold. "Cao Cao, attacking from behind—is that how heroes fight?"
"I wasn't trying to ambush you," Cao Cao replied, retrieving his True Longinus. "I only meant to stop you from taking Leonardo's Sacred Gear."
"Too late. It's mine now."
Tenra smirked, pressing the black jewel—Annihilation Maker—into his own body.
BOOM!
The entire space trembled. Power surged from Tenra, a tidal wave of energy roaring skyward.
Every time he claimed a Sacred Gear, his strength multiplied. The higher the grade, the greater the boost. With three Longinus now under his control, the magic within him rivaled Demon Kings several times over.
But it still wasn't enough. To reach his goal, he needed at least two more Longinus—maybe more.
Azazel watched, awe in his eyes. "I've said it before, but you really are a monster, kid."
"Maybe I am."
Tenra flexed his hands, a wicked grin tugging at his lips. He turned his gaze back to Cao Cao.
"Cao Cao, let's fight. I want to see what your True Longinus can really do!"
His eyes blazed with challenge, battle spirit surging. But Cao Cao only shook his head.
"Not now, Tenra Kamiyo. Tonight, at Nijo Castle, we'll conduct a grand experiment with the Nine-Tailed General. If you want to stop us, be there."
He leveled his spear, issuing the invitation. "And then, I'll give you the fight you're looking for."
Tenra's eyes flashed. "Count on it. I'll be there."
Mist rose through the alternate space, quickly thinning. Cao Cao and the Hero Faction faded with it, vanishing from sight.
Renare, Katerea, and the magicians regrouped, battered and bloodied. Most were only lightly injured, but Renare was drenched in blood, a deep gash carved into her chest—bone visible beneath torn flesh. Without Black Monarch's armor, she'd never have survived.
"Who did this?" Tenra frowned.
"Some white-haired swordsman. What's wrong, Master—worried about me?" Renare grinned, unfazed by her wounds.
"I'm just looking after my tools. Remember, you don't have permission to die unless I say so."
Tenra's reply was flat, but he raised a hand, casting Twilight Healing. Soft light swept over Renare, mending her wounds.
"Hehehe… As you command, Master. I'll stay alive until you're done with me."
The first clash with the Hero Faction was over. No clear winner, but they'd suffered a major loss—Tenra had stolen a crucial Longinus.
Not long after, the alternate space began to collapse. Thankfully, Azazel had set teleportation coordinates in advance, and everyone escaped before it crumbled entirely.
Back at the hotel, the drunken Valkyrie, Rossweisse, finally woke up. She'd slept through the chaos, missing the entire battle. Even after the alcohol wore off, she was still groggy, and spent half the day recovering. Eventually, she asked who had bathed and changed her.
Tenra answered with a straight face, "Asia helped you." Asia blinked, thinking, "I didn't do that…" But she kept quiet. If Tenra-san said she did, then that was that.
Rossweisse frowned, sensing something was off, but couldn't put her finger on it. She gave up, and thanked Asia profusely.
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